For Never and Ever
by jiv3y
Summary: Sora comes back to the islands changed, and they can't seem to do anything about it. SoraxKairi.
1. o1

**Hello there! So here's something new -- multiple chapters! I usually tend to stick with one-shots, but I thought I'd give this a try. This was written at the request of gof22... Hopefully you'll like it!**

**Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts, sadly, does not belong to me... if it did, I wouldn't be writing here. Oh well.**

* * *

The salty breeze caressed her skin and tossed her hair, the sting in her eyes making her wince and turn away. She stood alone on the beach, watching the sunset as she always did when he used to be gone.

"Kairi."

She looked over her shoulder to see him walking over, hands behind his back, a small smile playing on his face.

"Sora," she called back, waving. She knew she shouldn't, but she did. He never waved back anymore. Just a faraway smile and heart that was equally distant.

He stopped next to her, taking her dainty hand into his own gloved one. The callouses on his fingertips felt good against her skin. She measured up to his shoulder now; they weren't kids, and she wasn't the one that was taller.

"Watching the sunset again?" he mused, his blue eyes focused on the reds and yellows reflected in the clear water.

She nodded and leaned against his body, tilting her head so it would fit into the crook of his neck. It didn't feel the same, though; it used to be perfect, but now it was awkward, like trying to fit two pieces of a puzzle together even though they didn't match.

They stood like that, hand in hand, for what seemed like an eternity to her. She finally looked up at him, when the sky was blanketed in a black tarp speckled with silver and the water was a midnight blue.

"Sora..."

He continued to watch the water. She tugged gently on his arm, pulling him back toward the neighborhood district.

"Sora, it's time to go... let's go get some dinner."

He sighed and let her drag him away, a cold tint to his usually mirth-filled eyes.

* * *

Riku was leaning against the cool stone wall of the Secret Place, strumming a guitar and making a lullaby for himself. It was harder to get to sleep now; before he had left the islands, he hadn't been plagued with nightmares of the people he'd killed, the homes he'd destroyed, the places in which he'd let loose destruction.

He heard her quiet footfalls and made no move to stop her.

"Riku!"

She rushed over, but he didn't open his eyes. He just ran his fingertips over the strings of the instrument, nodding in acknowledgement.

He felt her sit down beside him, sighing. Another day, no response.

"How is he?" he asked softly, cracking open an eye to peer at her current state. Her hair was tousled, her eyes weary and tired. She was sleepy, but she had come to talk anyway.

"He's... not the same, Riku."

He saw a hint of moisture gathering in the corner of her eye; she was going to cry again, like she did every time she came to see him.

He stopped playing.

"He'll never be the same," he said, placing his guitar on the dusty floor beside him. He gathered his best friend up in his arms, letting her tire herself out by sobbing.

It had become a routine since they got back.

* * *

Sora lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling he had spent so many nights observing.

_Why did I hang that there?  
Was that my idea, to paint it this color?_

_How could I have been that naive?_

He closed his eyes and saw them, the Nobodies and the Heartless, the life fading from their eyes as he sliced through them. He thought of that girl, Namine, and the boy, Roxas.

_Roxas?_

He concentrated, trying to find that other half.

"What?"

Sora snapped open his eyes. A boy his age sat on the edge of the bed, transparent as a ghost. The moonlight made his form barely visible. His eyes were the same deep blue as his own, and his hair was a blond hue.

Roxas glared at him, obviously irritated that Sora had called him out again. He had started to give up on seeing Namine ever again; everytime he struggled to free himself, only his Other was there.

"Well, what is it now?"

Sora looked down guiltily.

"Just thinking... you know your friends? You know, from the Organization?"

At this, Roxas perked up.

"...Yeah, what about them?"

"What happened to them... when they died?"

Roxas looked up at the moon; it was a pure, shining white tonight. Stars flickered in the night sky.

_"Silly. Just because you have a next life..."_

"I don't know, Sora. Maybe they've living a new life."

* * *

**Read? Review? I don't know, whatever floats your boat. I'll start working on the next chapter soon...**

**This is rated T for now, but it might change in the future.**

**'Til next time...  
jiv3y**


	2. o2

**Hey. Just dropping in with another chapter. I might not update for a while, if anybody's following this at all.**

**So at the beginning, it was requested that another character be added for part of the plot. Writing it out, I didn't like how it sounded... I couldn't put what I wanted into the character and make her what I had envisioned her as. However, after some brainstorming, I decided to put in a familiar character in her place, with some small changes. Hopefully, this will make you all happy, including the one who wished for me to write this.**

**So... tell me how it's going. I guess I look forward to it.**

**Disclaimer: Square Enix/Disney owns KH. End of story. You can't change that, I can't change that.**

* * *

When he ended it, it was short and to the point. His voice was heavy and tired, like that of someone who had traveled through hell to get to where he was. 

He said that she never could understand what he'd been through, what Riku had been through. He said that he came all that way to save her, and at the end of the road lay disappointment. He said he wanted to find her, but now he wished he had paid attention to those "more important things."

"I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore."

He left her slumped against the cool stone of the Secret Place, breathing shallow and hitched, eyes drier than a desert.

And even though she wanted to hate him for being that stupid, she found that her heart hurt too much to even do that.

* * *

Riku found her hours later. 

She was still against that same wall; it didn't feel as cold as it did when he'd broken her heart.

"What are you doing? You never get her before me."

She only stared dully at the ground, eyes half-closed, arms crossed over her chest as if she were protecting herself.

He only took a second to realize that it was too late to protect her from what had wrought destruction inside her.

He stayed with her all that night, arm on her shoulder. She fell asleep after a while, a few sniffles and cries of pain escaping her dreams.

When his own eyelids finally started to feel heavier and harder to keep from shutting, he scooped her up in his arms and brought her back to her own home, laying her on her bed before leaving, taking one glance to make sure she was going to be okay.

He left even though his instinct told him to stay; she wouldn't be okay.

* * *

When she woke the next morning, she was in her room, the bright sunlight filtering in through the drapes on her window. She was still wearing her clothes; how peculiar. She looked into the mirror by her bedside and gasped at the face that stared back at her; the figure reflected her actions, raising its hand to its thin, pale lips, blinking its swollen blue eyes. 

It all came back to her, but she wouldn't cry. She wouldn't want Riku to see her like that.

She wouldn't want Sora to see her like that, either.

At the beach, she sat on the dock where he had asked her to be his girlfriend six months earlier.

Almost. Their six month anniversary was in a week and three days.

She ran her fingers over the worn-down wood planks, tracing circles and lines and shapes and words; soon it became names, and then it was just his name. She bit her lip, looking down into the blue water. It was _too_ blue today. It was supposed to be grey and stormy and muddy, just like her.

Her reflection continued to stare at her blankly.

_Don't judge me_, she thought, standing and turning away from the waves. She didn't want to face _anyone_.

* * *

Riku had been watching her from the shade of a palm tree, a slight scowl on his face. He didn't like seeing her like this. He didn't like seeing Sora and Selphie walking on the other side of the beach, smiling warmly at each other. 

Selphie had grown into more mature looks than Kairi; she was slightly taller, her hair just a little longer, her hands thin and unblemished. Her hips were just barely there, the swell of her breasts just a little more noticeable than Kairi's.

She wasn't much of a win to Riku. She was nice and sweet and caring, but she didn't have that essence. She didn't have that genuinely worried look in her eyes that Kairi did when Sora said he would go jump off the cliff to see if he could still fly. Selphie didn't have that look of love and adoration as she looked up at his best friend, who smiled a real smile that he'd never gifted Kairi with. She just had that look of want, like she needed him, but for her own reasons.

When Kairi saw him, she looked away, letting her hair obscure the other side of her face.

He let her be; she would find him when she needed to.

* * *

Sora came to find him that evening. 

He had watched Kairi slip back to the sanctuary of her home, making sure she didn't do anything drastic along the way.

"Riku?"

He looked over from old tree where the three of them used to watch sunsets together. Sora gave him a little wave as he crossed the bridge. His tone wasn't the same as it had been before they had left to find those other worlds.

He nodded at the spot next to him on the trunk, eyes glued to the sun as it sunk deeper and deeper into the shining ocean. A wave rolled up on the beach, washing up seaweed and shimmering, cracked shells. He heard Sora haul himself up onto the tree and make himself comfortable.

They watched the water reflect the angry reds and the mango-colored yellows and the oranges that blended with the pinks and purples in the sky. Riku sat still, waiting.

"I broke up with Kairi... yesterday."

Sora's hesitant voice cracked the silence. Riku nodded.

"Did she tell you already?"

Riku looked over at the boy who had seen so many more evils than normal teenagers should have. His hair was highlighted from days at the beach, his eyes a little sadder and darker, his hands calloused; he wasn't a child, but he wasn't an adult, either.

"I found her after you left her there."

Sora looked alarmed for a second, swiftly turning to look his best friend in the eye.

"She was okay... right? I thought she had gone home."

"She stayed. I brought her home last night. Relax," he drawled, watching Sora bristle under his gaze, "I didn't stay. I left right afterward."

He looked back out at the water.

"Why do you still care, anyway?"

Sora seemed suddenly fidgety, kicking his feet into the air and biting his lip.

Riku hopped off the tree, looking back at the boy.

"How about the usual? Bet you can beat me this time?"

Sora shook his head.

"Not today, Riku. There's too much to deal with."

Riku's eyes narrowed just slightly; Sora knew better than to look him in the eye.

"We raced maybe twice since you started dating Kairi. Come on. Bet you can't beat me."

Sora sighed and stepped lightly onto the sandy floor, making his way back toward his home.

"Drop it, Riku. We're not kids anymore."

He watched him walk away until he disappeared around the corner of the beach, behind the rocks that separated the residential district from the eastern side of the island.

Sora still had a lot to learn.

* * *

**Hm. I'm planning on making this between four and six chapters, but nothing's set in stone.**

**I'm out. 'Til next time.**


	3. o3

**Just dropping in to update for those of you who have decided to endure my mediocre writing.**

**Thanks for the reviews -- they're really quite sweet. :)**

**Disclaimer: The usual. I just wish I could own them.**

* * *

She heard the knocking around ten in the morning. It started as a soft, hesitant sound, then progressed into a much more eager, aggressive one. 

She tried ignoring it, she really did; she pulled her pillow over her head in an attempt to muffle the noise. After a few more agonizing minutes, she tossed it angrily at the wall, pulling herself from the comfort of her bed and toward the front door.

When she opened it, she was surprised to see Selphie, holding a tote in one hand and a steaming cup of something in the other.

"Selphie?" she croaked, tired. She hadn't used her voice much in the last couple days; she hadn't wanted to talk to anyone.

Her friend pushed the cup into her hands, her expression a mixture of anxiety and worry. "You okay, Kairi? You don't look so --"

"I'm _not_ okay," she snapped, her grip on the mug getting stronger with each word she forced out. Suddenly it occurred to her that Selphie might not know what happened at all, and she felt the guilt wash over her like a wave.

"Sorry," she muttered, gesturing for the other girl to come inside. She knew she looked terrible; she didn't care. Selphie sat down at a wooden table, fingering the strap of her bag.

"What's that for?" Kairi asked, using her free hand to gesture at the tote. She sipped gingerly at the dark liquid; it was some kind of aromatic tea that didn't taste like anything. Steam rolled over her cheeks, and she closed her eyes in bliss for a second.

Selphie seemed to freeze in her seat.

"Well... I'm going to the beach after this."

Kairi nodded, forcing a smile. "Sounds like fun," she lied, thinking of where she'd stood watching the sunset with Sora a few days earlier.

"Yeah..."

"You don't seem very excited," she noted, placing the mug on the counter. She looked at the few drops of tea losing their heat at the bottom of the cup.

The other girl bit her lip, watching her friend.

"I'm going with Sora, Kairi."

So she did know.

Kairi nodded stiffly, bringing the mug to the table and placing it in front of her.

"That's... good. I'm happy for you," she bit out.

"You should... go. He's probably waiting," she babbled, flustered. She nudged the empty mug toward Selphie.

"Okay. Feel better," she called before zipping out the door.

Kairi closed it after her, dropping her hand when she heard the soft _click_ of the lock. She stared at the wood, tracing the patterns with her eyes. And then she crept back to her room, ready to settle back into the illusion of happiness in her dreams.

* * *

Riku watched them for a total of seven minutes before he was sick of their antics. 

He slipped into the shadows of the palms, walking toward Kairi's house. He hadn't seen much of her since that day; she had holed herself up in her room and refused to leave its comfort.

He approached the white house; it was trimmed with brown, just like all the rest of the houses in the area. He rang the doorbell once, then twice, then three times. After a while, he uncrossed his arms and stabbed at the little button, a mixture of dread and annoyance.

Where _was_ she?

Finally he stopped when shuffling was heard behind the door, followed by a muffled "Coming..."

The door swung open to reveal _someone._

The girl standing in front of him was, in no way, his best friend. There was no chance.

She had dark circles under her half-closed blue eyes, and her hair was untamed and stuck out in all angles. Her clothes were rumpled and creased where she had obviously folded them when she had finished her laundry. Her skin was even more pale than the usual porcelain; it looked more ghostly than elegant.

"Kairi?" he asked tentatively, reaching out to feel her forehead. "You... alright?"

She swatted his hand away weakly, a sigh escaping her lips.

"Peachy."

"You don't look very peachy."

She shot him a tired glare before dragging herself to a barstool at the counter; after seating herself, she cradled her head in her arms, silent. He watched her from the door, hand on the knob, waiting for her to tell him to get the hell out.

She didn't.

He invited himself inside and sat down next to her, rubbing a hand reassuringly over her back.

"He's an idiot."

She mumbled a response. He didn't bother to try and understand it.

When she went back to bed without a word, he stayed in her kitchen, staring blankly at the open window that framed an imperfect picture: Sora and Selphie connected at the lips, hands linked.

* * *

Sora didn't come to see him that night, so he left in search of his best friend instead. 

He found him curled into a ball on the beach, drawing figures in the sand. Upon closer inspection, Riku observed that they were of heartless and nobodies. One was of a spiky-haired figure seemingly fading away; perhaps it was Axel.

The tide washed away the lower portion of the illustration, lapping at Sora's unlaced shoes.

"What are you doing here?" Sora asked. He did not lift his gaze.

"Are you really happy with her?" Riku questioned, his tone flat.

Sora shrugged in response.

"Is that why you're here? To be her spy?"

Riku resisted the urge to kick sand in his face like a child.

"She's suffering."

"I know."

Sora looked at his shoes; they were soaked from the waves now.

"She wasn't meant for me. She'll find someone new. Selphie understands me better than she ever could have."

"Is that true?"

Sora didn't look at him.

"Selphie wasn't the one waiting for you for two years, Sora. It would do you well to remember that."

As he turned and walked away, he heard Sora call after him.

"She's more of a woman than Kairi could ever be. She didn't wait for anyone. She knew when to let go."

Riku only shook his head.

"She won't wait for you, either."

* * *

Selphie was lying in his bed, slowly pulling him down onto the soft mattress. She pressed her lips to his in a quick kiss before pulling back to breathe, running a ringer down his jaw. 

"Selphie," he hissed, pulling her back into his arms. He ran a hand down her spine, feeling each vertebrae until he reached her hip. She ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly, pressing her cheek against his.

"Don't get too carried away," she warned softly, her breath tickling his ear. His hand froze on her waist.

"What do you mean?" he asked, pushing himself up. She rolled away from him and stared blankly.

"Neither of us is ready for that," she said calmly, twirling a finger through her hair.

"What are you talking about? We're both mature enough," he pressed, hating the slight whine in his voice.

"There," she nodded, tracing patterns in the quilt. "That's exactly what I'm talking about."

* * *

**Now for a break for a couple days. Finals are coming up, so it's study, study, STUDY for a while! In the meantime, it would be lovely to hear from you all.**

**'Til next time,  
jiv3y**


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